This invention relates generally to the field of devices for securing or retaining catheters, IV tubes, drainage tubes or similar medical lines to the skin of a patient at or near the point of insertion, and more particularly relates to such devices securing or retaining catheters and the like that extend generally perpendicularly to the skin surface.
In many circumstances catheters or similar medical lines are inserted percutaneously into the skin of a patient and must remain in place for extended periods of time. To insure that the catheter remains in place, it is known to create frameworks out of strips of adhesive tape to secure the catheter tube to the patient's skin in the proper orientation and to preclude accidental removal. Catheters used with infants are particularly susceptible to accidental dislodgement. In addition to the frameworks created out of strips of adhesive tape by medical staff, dedicated catheter or similar medical line securement devices have been developed for this purpose. Examples of such devices are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,158 to Gordon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,793 to Galindo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,616 to Nowak et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,411 to Edmunds, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,380 to Hesketh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,935 to Hollands, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,694 to Yamamoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,453 to Plass et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,627 to Conway, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,652 to Bierman. Each of these patented devices suffer drawbacks of one form or another, and it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved catheter securement device that addresses these drawbacks.
It is an object of this invention to provide a catheter securement device that secures a catheter oriented generally perpendicularly to skin of a patient, wherein the device is quickly and easily applied to or removed from the patient and the catheter.